In most countries around the world new parents can expect to be given paid time off work to spend time with their baby and adjust to life as a parent. The U.S, however, is lagging far behind in terms of parental leave and in 2016 still does not offer any mandatory maternity leave.

Column Five and Jobvite paired up to create this study, providing a brief overview of the state of paid parental leave in the US and why employers can’t afford to not offer it.

How does parental leave differ around the world?

The U.S is one of only 4 countries in the world to offer NO mandatory parental leave.

The countries offering the most generous parental leave are the Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.

U.S. fathers who take parental leave, take on average 10 days or less.

How does parental leave impact a company?

The U.S. relies on companies to offer reduced pay at a percentage of the employee’s salary when they take parental leave; however only 12% of private-sector employees actually receive paid paternal leave.

Concerns that employers have about parental leave are the cost of hiring a temporary member of staff, reduced productivity and covering absentee benefits during their absence.

In a study assessing the effect of parental leave, most employers reported either no noticeable difference or a positive effect on productivity, performance, turnover and morale when parental leave was offered.